Court issues warrants for eight relatives and aides of ‘Shogun’

File photo : Passengers of Pasit's chartered flight. Pasit is seen sitting in the middle and Chatmongkon Bampen is seen sitting in the back row.

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A CRIMINAL Court has issued arrest warrants for eight people who were relatives and close aides to Pasit Ariyalapit, who has been detained on fraud charges over a much-publicised alleged tour scam, a senior police officer said Monday.

The eight were already being held at the 11th Military Circle in Bangkok, Pol Maj General Sutin Sappuang, chief of the Crime Suppression Division, said.

The eight will be handed over to Crime Suppression police today for further prosecution, Sutin said.

Police will charge Pasit, better known as “Shogun”, for allegedly being involved in a secret society. She is now being held at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution pending further inquiries.

He said police were talking to an actor, Chatmongkon Bampen, who was one of seven passengers on Pasit’s chartered flights.

The actor meanwhile met police and claimed he was also a victim of the “tour scam” as he had bought a trip to Japan with Pasit’s network. He said he went to Suvarnabhumi Airport last Tuesday with other people but could not go to Japan, as there was no flight booking for him.

The Anti-Money Laundering Office has frozen Bt3 million in Pasit’s bank accounts and seized a condominium and six cars, worth a total of Bt10 million. The cars found in a southern province were registered under others’ names, Sutin said.

He added that there was not enough evidence to charge Pasit for lese majeste.

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